A mixed bag
Sometimes I find the world to be a confronting, confusing and confounding place. I am both saddened and angered by the worsening situation in Zimbabwe. It makes me mad to think that we (by ‘we’ I mean the West, especially those parts run by White Men) waltzed in to Iraq on a less-than-flimsy premise, and yet we sit by and watch the chaos in Zimbabwe on the nightly news. The leader of the MDC has asked for help, and the best Australia seems to have come up with is ‘applying pressure to other African nations’. Um, I’m sorry, the rest of Arica is still kinda stuffed from what we did to it in the past.
Then I see Nelson Mandela shaking hands with Queen Lizzy II and preparing to celebrate his 90th b’day and I remember there is hope. So long as one heart remains faithful, one mind remains strong and one body can survive, there is hope for humankind.
My step-father had a birthday this week. He is 70-something; 72 I think. My mother didn’t seem inclined to make a fuss since it wasn’t a ‘significant’ b’day. Personally I think any b’day after 70 is a landmark worthy of celebration. We invited him over on Sunday night for dinner - home made pizza, nothing flash. We chatted, watched Jane Austen on ABC, and gave him a very small trifling of a gift - A double photo frame with photos from the last Bombers game we 3 attended together inside. He was moved almost to tears. He hadn’t expected a gift other than dinner itself. Its so nice to be able to give that gift - love, acceptance and validation.
Work continues to be great. We have an end of financial year lunch tomorrow, which I am looking forward to, both as a chance to further bond with my colleagues, and because we don’t have to go back to the office afterwards. Sam and I are going to catch a film tomorrow afternoon as he is home sick recovering from a middle ear infection.
Tuesday morning saw Sam and I heading to the Ear and Eye Hospital after his sore ear started oozing bloody fluid (having oozed clear fluid for several hours before that. He knew I needed a good night’s sleep so didn’t wake me until 7.30 when it became bloody. See, romance lives!). Turns out he has an ear infection with a suspected perforation of the ear drum. A huge dose of antibitotics, together with panadine forte seems to have done the trick. He has a follow up appointment on Tuesday next week. I won’t mind paying my Medicare levy this year given how often we find ourselves relying on the public health system.
Ohh, have you seen the Bridge of Strings in Jerusalem? More hope!